2018–19 CAF Champions League
The 2018–19 CAF Champions League was the 55th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football, and the 23rd edition under the current CAF Champions League title.
This season follows a transitional calendar which allows the CAF club competitions to switch from a February-to-November schedule to an August–to-May schedule, as per the decision of the CAF Executive Committee on 20 July 2017. It began in December 2018, right after the 2018 season had finished, and ends in May 2019, before the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. The next season will then start after the Africa Cup of Nations and follow the new calendar.
The winners of the 2018–19 CAF Champions League will qualify for the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, and earn the right to play against the winners of the 2018–19 CAF Confederation Cup in the 2020 CAF Super Cup in February. Espérance de Tunis are the defending champions.
Association team allocation
All 56 CAF member associations may enter the CAF Champions League, with the 12 highest ranked associations according to their CAF 5-Year Ranking eligible to enter two teams in the competition. As a result, theoretically a maximum of 68 teams could enter the tournament – although this level has never been reached.For the 2018–19 CAF Champions League, the CAF uses the 2013–2017 CAF 5-Year Ranking, which calculates points for each entrant association based on their clubs’ performance over those 5 years in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. The criteria for points are the following:
| CAF Champions League | CAF Confederation Cup | |
| Winners | 6 points | 5 points |
| Runners-up | 5 points | 4 points |
| Losing semi-finalists | 4 points | 3 points |
| Losing quarter-finalists | 3 points | 2 points |
| 3rd place in groups | 2 points | 1 point |
| 4th place in groups | 1 point | 0.5 point |
The points are multiplied by a coefficient according to the year as follows:
- 2017 – 5
- 2016 – 4
- 2015 – 3
- 2014 – 2
- 2013 – 1
Teams
- For this season, the title holders receive a bye to the [|group stage].
- Four teams received a bye to the [|first round].
- The other 52 teams entered the [|preliminary round].
| Association | Team | Qualifying method |
| Espérance de Tunis | Title holders 2017–18 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions | |
| Club Africain | 2017–18 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up | |
| Al-Ahly | 2017–18 Egyptian Premier League champions | |
| Ismaily | 2017–18 Egyptian Premier League runners-up | |
| AS Vita Club | 2017–18 Linafoot champions | |
| TP Mazembe | 2017–18 Linafoot runners-up | |
| Ittihad Tanger | 2017–18 Botola champions | |
| Wydad Casablanca | 2017–18 Botola runners-up | |
| CS Constantine | 2017–18 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions | |
| JS Saoura | 2017–18 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up | |
| Mamelodi Sundowns | 2017–18 South African Premier Division champions | |
| Orlando Pirates | 2017–18 South African Premier Division runners-up | |
| Al-Hilal | 2018 Sudan Premier League champions | |
| Al-Merrikh | 2018 Sudan Premier League runners-up | |
| ZESCO United | 2018 Zambia Super League champions | |
| Nkana | 2018 Zambia Super League runners-up | |
| Al-Nasr | 2017–18 Libyan Premier League champions | |
| Al-Ahly Benghazi | 2017–18 Libyan Premier League runners-up | |
| Coton Sport | 2018 Elite One champions | |
| UMS de Loum | 2018 Elite One runners-up | |
| ASEC Mimosas | 2017–18 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 champions | |
| SC Gagnoa | 2017–18 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 runners-up | |
| UD Songo | 2017 Moçambola champions |
;Notes
;Associations which did not enter a team
Schedule
Qualifying rounds
Preliminary round
First round
Group stage
| Tiebreakers |